Light drill?

[tmmorris]

In my day job, I played the RAF March Past on the organ today. My copy (dated 1922) says it is to be played at 132 paces per minute. Did the RAF start out doing light drill?

[Chugalug2]

Does seem rather rapid doesn't it? I read somewhere that the RAF March Past was written so that it could be played as a Slow or Quick March, would that sound likely? In which case presumably it could back up the old DIs dire warning that, "If you lot don't smarten yourselves up, I'll have you doubling around this Parade Square until your legs are worn down to bloody stumps, and then I'll charge you all for ***ing around on Parade!"
All in a continuous and increasingly loud falsetto of course. Perhaps the resulting accompaniment would be at 132 paces to the minute?

[kaitakbowler]

I was a member of the RAF Flight on the farewell parade of Lt Gen Sir John Archer in HK in 1978, it was a tri service affair, as the senior service the RN contingent led the way, the Gurkha pipe band playing, next came the Army contingent, Royal Green Jackets and various Gurkha regts. finally the Kai Tak blues, this meant the band had to change the pace of the music as each contingent came into view of the reviewing officer (slow,quick,quick,slow), as the previous contingent was still in sight as the pace changed (and all on grass BTW) chaos ensued as steps were lost. At the rehearsal the parade Sgt Major, a Green Jacket was slowly turning puce. It was suggested that the army contingents should lead the parade with the RN and RAF bringing up the rear, the RN refused, as senior service they would lead. In the end the RAF followed the RN and after a suitable pause to allow the two blue contingents to reform the brown contingents did their thing. The parade Sgt. Major was not a happy bunny and all the blues were under his microscope. On the day it all went well, with a superb piss up afterwards.

PM

[alisoncc]

Here's me thinking a "light drill" was a solar powered device for making holes in things. Could have been a significant improvement on the "windies" we used in the hangars if needing to make holes out on the line.

:D

[Dan Winterland]

The RAF changed over to the Army drill in 1986. I was part of the RAF College Colour Party at the time and we had to change half way though our tenure. I seem to remember it involved a slightly slower pace and more arm swinging - but not when you were carrying a sword or "the rag''.

[500N]

Dan

I've never heard one called "The Rag" before :O

[Pontius Navigator]

We did Army drill with both Army and RAF in 1957-58 then the Army changed with the about turn and halt being given on the opposite foot.

I also heard from our nav instructors that on a combined services parade the Light infantry also came on last having started to march off well behind the main contingents.

If the RAF changed drill again in 1986 did the result in the Halt becoming 'halt, slide, one-two' and the about turn changing from the TLV? (IIRC)

[ian16th]

Halt becoming 'halt, slide, one-two' PN

This sounds very reminiscent of the Boy Entrants 'sliding halt', during the 50's. It was the bane of our DI's and only used when Boy NCO's were i/c a class.

[tmmorris]

Also, now I think of it, one of the old films on here for new recruits from the 1950s showed them coming to attention lifting the foot only three inches not all the way up - which is also a light infantry thing. Or so my RSM tells me, and he is a dyed in the wool Greenjacket.

[Pontius Navigator]

Ian, that seems about right. We were taught the old drill by DIs of the Border Regiment around 1957-58 and then they changed to the newer drill in 1958. The RAF contingent then retained the old drill which made life interesting on a combined parade as the halt and about turn orders were on different feet.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Deviating slightly off centreline; I remember taking part in the ATC Drill Competition, Sealand '67. For the slow march tests, the turn and about turn were completed at quick time. It felt and looked bloody smart. The following year, by Wing edict, we completed the turn and about turn at slow time. It felt and looked, to me, like some sort of foreign outfit's way of doing things. The Pakistan/India Border and Red Square sprang to mind.

Serious question; which was the correct Air Force way?

[sitigeltfel]

Getting it right.......the Chinese way

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02674/POTD_soldiers_rope_2674007k.jpg

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

They must be the ones that aren't doing;

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n131/Golf_Bravo_Zulu/MongDrill.jpg

I would imagine that their slope arms would be near perfect. :}